Sticky Ginger Tempeh with Charred Corn & Scallion Salad
This Sticky Ginger Tempeh with Charred Corn and Scallion Salad is easy to make and packed with bold flavors. High-protein and the perfect weeknight summer meal.
Why You’ll Love This Sticky Ginger Tempeh
- A one pan meal. A quick meal with less clean up because everything is cooked in one pan.
- Rich in nutrition. A good source of protein, fiber, and micronutrients like iron and calcium.
- Versatile. Easily customizable with your favorite in season vegetables and grains.
What is Tempeh?
Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian soy-based food made by fermenting whole soybeans then pressing into a firm, cake-like form. Since the whole bean is used, tempeh is much denser in texture and contains a significant amount of fiber compared to tofu. In addition, the fermentation process helps make tempeh more digestible.
What are the Benefits of Eating Tempeh?
- High Protein Content: Provides approximately 18 g of protein per 3 oz portion, making it an excellent meat alternative.
- Rich in Nutrients: Contains iron, calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins.
- Digestive Health: Rich in prebiotics, which are just as important as the probiotics because prebiotics help feed our microbiota.
- Heart Health: Low in saturated fat and rich in isoflavones, which is associated with lower cholesterol and improved heart health.
- Bone Strength: High calcium content contributes to bone density.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tempeh: For less bitter flavor, I often recommend using the variety that is just made using soybeans with no added grains. This recipe can also be made with other protein alternatives like tofu or chickpeas. See notes below in the FAQ section for a chickpea tempeh option.
- Corn: Fresh corn is what I often use, but you can sub for frozen corn too. Just adjust the cooking time a bit to accommodate for the fact it needs to thaw.
- Tamari: This can be interchanged with soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Mirin: I do not recommend an alternative here. It is pretty common to find this Japanese cooking wine in the international section of your grocery store, usually sold near the soy sauce.
- Sesame oil: If possible, use a toasted sesame oil as it will have more depth of flavor. If allergic to sesame, I would instead use a neutral oil like avocado oil.
- Light brown sugar: This will help with the caramelization and sticky nature of this sauce. Alternatively, coconut sugar works here too!
- Scallions: Shallots are a great alternative.
- Cilantro: If you have the cilantro soap gene, try this with fresh parsley.
- Pepper: I used a serrano pepper. If you are sensitive to heat, I recommend omitting or using a less spicy pepper like jalapeño.
- Pistachios: I just used these as this is what I had, but you can also sub for sesame seeds instead for a nut-free option.
How to Make Sticky Ginger Tempeh with Charred Corn & Scallion Salad
Mix the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, mirin, brown sugar, sesame oil, five spice, and bouillon paste (if using). Set aside.
Prep the Tempeh: Slice the tempeh into thin slabs, then stack and slice crosswise into small bite-sized pieces.
Sauté the Tempeh: Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then stir occasionally until golden all over, about 3-5 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Cook the Corn: Cut the kernels off the cob. Add another 1 1/2 tbsp oil to the same skillet. Spread corn in a single layer, cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then toss and sauté another 2 minutes until lightly charred. Season with salt.
Add Aromatics: Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ginger and white parts of scallions; cook for another minute.
Glaze the Tempeh: Return tempeh to the skillet. Pour in the sauce, stirring to coat. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula and cook until the sauce thickens and caramelizes around the tempeh, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in peas, if using, then remove from heat.
Make the Scallion Salad: In a small bowl, combine cilantro, scallion, pepper, and pistachios. Just before serving, drizzle with sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Toss gently.
Assemble & Serve: Spoon the sticky tempeh over rice, top with the herby scallion salad, and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
Expert Tips
- Change up the veggies. I used corn and peas because they help add extra fiber to this dish, but this recipe can work with a lot of veggies. For example skip the corn and peas, sauté the garlic and scallions, then stir in some shredded kale before adding back the tempeh and pouring in the sauce. You can also use different herbs based on what you have available to you.
- Make tempeh less bitter. The best way to do this, is to steam or boil your block of tempeh for 10 minutes. For even more improvement, try boiling the tempeh in vegetable broth to help infuse more flavor into your tempeh. Let it cool completely before cutting the tempeh and using in this recipe.
- To get a nice crisp on your tempeh, make sure you use a large pan. This will help you spread the tempeh out evenly in the pan. Cooking it undisturbed for a few minutes allows for the bottoms to properly brown and crisp. Give it a stir, and stir occasionally from here until all sides are golden.
- Make ginger easier to grate by freezing it. Not only will freezing stop your ginger from going bad, but it also helps freeze the natural fibers in the ginger, which are easier to shave when grating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there are a couple of options! First make sure you are using a soy-free soy sauce like coconut aminos. You can then focus on the major replacement, which is the tempeh. LightLife just launched a soy-free tempeh made from chickpeas, which you can find here. If you don’t have access to that, you can also try this recipe using seitan or chickpeas. If using chickpeas, I would first make sure to dry the chickpeas really well in a clean kitchen towel before using. Then sauté the chickpeas similar to the tempeh. Do note, that this step may take longer as chickpeas have more moisture to them compared to the tempeh.
Yes! I would recommend storing the tempeh without the herby salad. Place cooked tempeh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, you can either microwave for 1-2 minutes or until fully heated through. You can also pan fry it again with a little oil to help with sautéing. If you can, please try to make the herby salad fresh when serving. If not, top with a handful of fresh herbs or scallions if available.
A serving of tempeh already provides 17g of protein on its own. Adding peas adds additional protein as well as the pistachios. To bump up the protein further, consider serving with a higher protein grain like farro or quinoa, or stuff into a high protein wrap.
Make It Balanced
I love to make this tempeh dish balanced by serving it with rice or quinoa. For a boost of more flavor, sometimes, I like to serve this tempeh with cilantro lime rice. For more veggies, feel free stir in some additional veggies to this recipe. Sometimes, I like to add spinach or kale for some extra antioxidants.
More High-Protein Plant-Based Recipes to Try
- Herby Scallion Tofu Patties
- Smoky Maple Tempeh Hash Breakfast Sandwiches
- Peanut Miso Cucumber Crunch Sandwich
- Garlic Soy Glazed Tofu Skewers
- Crispy Rice Bowl with Hummus and Roasted Lentils
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Print
Sticky Ginger Tempeh with Charred Corn & Scallion Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Sticky Ginger Tempeh with Charred Corn and Scallion Salad is easy to make and packed with bold flavors. High-protein and the perfect weeknight summer meal.
Ingredients
Sticky Tempeh
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp five spice
- 1/2 tsp vegetable bouillon paste or an extra 1/2 tbsp tamari (optional)
- 3 tbsp avocado oil or more if needed
- 1, 8 oz block of tempeh
- 1 corn on the cob
- 3 scallions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated or minced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
Herby Salad
- 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (omit if spice intolerant)
- 1 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Kosher salt
For Serving
- Cooked Jasmine rice or cilantro lime rice
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- To a separate bowl, add the tamari, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, five spice, and bouillon paste if using. Whisk until the paste has fully dissolved then set aside.
- With a sharp knife, cut the tempeh into thin strips along the length of the tempeh block. Then, with the strips stacked together, thinly cut again crosswise into small bite-sized strips. The pieces should be small, which will help them better crisp up nicely in the pan. At this time, cut the corn, prep the garlic, ginger, scallions, and cilantro, so they are ready to use.
- Heat about 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure the oil coats the bottom of the pan. Add the tempeh and spread it out into a single layer in the pan. Let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes or until it smells nutty and the bottoms appear more golden in color. From here stir occasionally until the rest of the tempeh is golden in color, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Cut the corn kernels away from the cob and prep any additional veggies and aromatics as needed. To the same pan, add another 1 1/2 tbsp of oil to heat through. Add the corn and spread it out evenly over the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, give the corn a toss and sauté for 2 minutes until the corn starts to lightly char around the edges.
- Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then, add the ginger and the white portion of scallions, continuing to sauté for about 1 minute.
- Add the cooked tempeh back to the pan then pour in the sauce you made from earlier. Stir to completely coat the tempeh, scraping any bits away from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spatula to avoid sticking.
- Continue stirring until the sauce has caramelized around the tempeh, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the thawed peas if using, then remove the pan from heat.
- For the scallion salad, add the cilantro, scallion, pepper, and pistachios. Before serving, add the sesame oil and a pinch of salt, then carefully toss to combine.
- To serve, divide the tempeh between bowls of rice then top with a sprinkle of the scallion salad on top and a squeeze of lime juice overtop. Enjoy!
Notes
Change up the veggies. I used corn and peas because they help add extra fiber to this dish, but this recipe can work with a lot of veggies. For example skip the corn and peas, sauté the garlic and scallions, then stir in some shredded kale before adding back the tempeh and pouring in the sauce. You can also use different herbs based on what you have available to you.
Make tempeh less bitter. The best way to do this, is to steam or boil your block of tempeh for 10 minutes. For even more improvement, try boiling the tempeh in vegetable broth to help infuse more flavor into your tempeh. Let it cool completely before cutting the tempeh and using in this recipe.
To get a nice crisp on your tempeh, make sure you use a large pan. This will help you spread the tempeh out evenly in the pan. Cooking it undisturbed for a few minutes allows for the bottoms to properly brown and crisp. Give it a stir, and stir occasionally from here until all sides are golden.
Make ginger easier to grate by freezing it. Not only will freezing stop your ginger from going bad, but it also helps freeze the natural fibers in the ginger, which are easier to shave when grating.
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!
